Storage medium storing computer program, information processing system, and information processing method

• US 9,710,301 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shida, Muneyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wood, William C
• Application Number:
  US14/639,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20150293782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence

Abstract

A computer program, an information processing system, and an information processing method are capable of properly managing the connection state of communication connection with an external device. When an operating system shifts an application to a background state, the operating system provides the application with a background shift notification. In the case where communication connection, targeted for management, between the application and an external accessory system is in an active state, the application having received the background shift notification cuts off, via the operating system, the communication connection established between the application and the accessory system, and switches the state of the communication connection, targeted for management, to an inactive state.

Claims

1. A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program read and executed by a computer including an operating system, wherein

the computer causes the computer program to function as an application running on the operating system,

while the application is running, the operating system controls and shifts an execution state of the application among a foreground state in which the application is executed in a foreground and can communicate with an external device using a communication connection, a background state in which the application is executed in a background and can communicate with an external device using a communication connection, and a suspended state in which the application is inexecutable, and

the application includes

a communication connection-used processor configured to, when the execution state of the application is the foreground state, perform processing using a communication connection established between the application and an external device,

a communication connection manager configured to save connection state information indicating an active or inactive state of the communication connection between the application and the external device and to update the connection state information depending on a change in active or inactive state of the communication connection between the foreground state and the background state of the application, and

a communication connection cutter configured to, in a case where the execution state of the application is the foreground state and the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the active state, cut off, via the operating system, the communication connection when the execution state of the application shifts to the background state and before the execution state of the application shifts to the suspended state, whereupon the communication connection manager updates the connection state information for the application from the active state to the inactive state, and if the application is subsequently shifted to the suspended state, the connection state information for the application continues to indicate the inactive state.

2. The non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program of claim 1, wherein

the application further includes a continuous operation setter configured to selectively set whether or not continuous operation is performed in the background state, and

when the execution state shifts to the background state,

if it is set that the application performs the continuous operation in the background state, the communication connection cutter of the application does not cut off the communication connection even in the case where the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the active state, and

only if it is set that the application does not perform the continuous operation in the background state, and the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the active state, the communication connection cutter of the application cuts off the communication connection.

3. The non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program of claim 1, wherein

the application further includes a communication connection activator configured to, in a case where the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the inactive state, activate the communication connection between the application and the external device when the execution state shifts to the foreground state.

4. The non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program of claim 2, wherein

the application further includes a communication connection activator configured to, in a case where the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the inactive state, activate the communication connection between the application and the external device when the execution state shifts to the foreground state.

5. An information processing system connectable to an external device, comprising:

an operating system implemented by a computer executing a stored computer program; and

an application implemented by a computer executing a stored computer program and running on the operating system,

wherein while the application is running, the operating system controls and shifts an execution state of the application among a foreground state in which the application is executed in a foreground and can communicate with an external device using a communication connection, a background state in which the application is executed in a background and can communicate with an external device using a communication connection, and a suspended state in which the application is inexecutable, and

the application includes

a communication connection-used processor configured to, when the execution state of the application is the foreground state, perform processing using a communication connection established between the application and the external device,

a communication connection manager configured to save connection state information indicating an active or inactive state of the communication connection between the application and the external device and to update the connection state information depending on a change in active or inactive state of the communication connection between the foreground state and the background state of the application, and

a communication connection cutter configured to, in a case where the execution state of the application is the foreground state and the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the active state, cut off, via the operating system the communication connection when the execution state of the application shifts to the background state and before the execution state of the application shifts to the suspended state, whereupon the communication connection manager updates the connection state information for the application from the active state to the inactive state, and if the application is subsequently shifted to the suspended state, the connection state information for the application continues to indicate the inactive state.

6. The information processing system of claim 5, wherein

the application further includes a continuous operation setter configured to selectively set whether or not continuous operation is performed in the background state, and

when the execution state shifts to the background state,

if it is set that the application performs the continuous operation in the background state, the communication connection cutter of the application does not cut off the communication connection even in the case where the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the active state, and

only if it is set that the application does not perform the continuous operation in the background state, and the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the active state, the communication connection cutter of the application cuts off the communication connection.

7. The information processing system of claim 5, wherein

the application further includes a communication connection activator configured to, in a case where the connection state information indicates that the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the inactive state, activate the communication connection between the application and the external device when the execution state shifts to the foreground state.

8. The information processing system of claim 6, wherein

the application further includes a communication connection activator configured to, in a case where the connection state information indicates that the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the inactive state, activate the communication connection between the application and the external device when the execution state shifts to the foreground state.

9. A method for performing processing by an application running on an operating system of a computer,

in which the operating system controls and shifts, while the application is running, an execution state of the application among a foreground state in which the application is executed in a foreground and can communicate with an external device using a communication connection, a background state in which the application is executed in a background and can communicate with an external device using a communication connection, and a suspended state in which the application is inexecutable,

the method for performing processing comprising:

a communication connection-used processing step of, when the execution state of the application is the foreground state, performing processing using a communication connection established between the application and an external device;

a connection state information management step of saving connection state information indicating an active or inactive state of the communication connection between the application and the external device and updating the connection state information depending on a change in active or inactive state of the communication connection between the foreground state and the background state of the application; and

a communication connection cutting step of, in a case where the execution state of the application is the foreground state and the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the active state, cutting off, via the operating system, the communication connection when the execution state of the application shifts to the background state and before the execution state of the application shifts to the suspended state, whereupon the connection state information management step further comprises updating the connection state information for the application from the active state to the inactive state, and if the application is subsequently shifted to the suspended state, the connection state information for the application continues to indicate the inactive state.

10. The method for performing processing of claim 9, further comprising:

a step of selectively setting whether or not continuous operation is performed in the background state,

wherein the communication connection cutting step is a step of, when the execution state shifts to the background state,

if it is set that the application performs the continuous operation in the background state, not cutting off the communication connection even in the case where the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the active state, and

only if it is set that the application does not perform the continuous operation in the background state, and the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the active state, cutting off the communication connection.

11. The method for performing processing of claim 9, further comprising:

a communication connection activation step of, in a case where the connection state information indicates that the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the inactive state, activating the communication connection between the application and the external device when the execution state shifts to the foreground state.

12. The method for performing processing of claim 10, further comprising:

a communication connection activation step of, in a case where the connection state information indicates that the communication connection between the application and the external device is in the inactive state, activating the communication connection between the application and the external device when the execution state shifts to the foreground state.